Digimon Tamers: Digital Evolution
by Titus
Summary: A junior high-age kid named Ryan, who is plagued by his past and an unrelenting darkness, meets a transfer student (Ruki Makino) and gains a strange 'D-Plug', with a strange energy about it. EXPLICIT BLOOD, GORE, AND SEXUAL CONTENT. (Chapter 10 up.)
1. Light of Fate

Episode 1: Light of Fate  
  
"Diamond Storm!" Ryan heard a voice in the distance. He saw a bright silver light, along with shattering ice crystals. It was the deep of night, so the light seemed to call him. He ran over in its direction. At the source of the light, a small bear Digimon stood, not effected by the Renamon's attack.  
  
"Renamon!" a girl, seeming to be Renamon's partner, called. "Do something already!" Since special attacks seemed to have no effect all night, she ran at the Digimon. She swung her fist, but it was easily blocked and she was flipped on her back.  
  
"Argh..!" She flipped back up.   
  
"Bear Claw!!" The small Digimon flew at Renamon, its burning fist hitting her in the stomach. She flew backwards and hit the ground, coughing.  
  
"Renamon! Aah..!" The girl looked at a slightly cracked device. "If only this worked...! Crap!" Then Ryan ran up, and the girl looked at him. "Hey! Get outta here!"  
  
"H-huh?" Ryan was a little surprised.  
  
"If you're not a Tamer, you're in danger, so GO!"  
  
"W-.. Tamer?!" Ryan knew what that was. "What, and you ARE?!"  
  
"That's not- Ah, shoot! Move!"  
  
"Wha-" Ryan looked behind him to see an Ultimate-level Digimon - a DinoBeemon - swooping down at him. "Whoa!!" Out of seemingly nowhere, the girl dove on top of him, throwing them both out of the way. She jumped back up, the Renamon now slightly rested and on her feet.  
  
"Ruki.. Your orders?"  
  
"Take that DinoBeemon out!"  
  
"I'll do as good as I can... But Taomon would do better..." She leaped into the air. "Diamond Storm!" The crystals flew once again. This time, though, they just... fell off of the target. She landed and took a step back as the DinoBeemon circled around towards her. "Ruki... It isn't working..!"  
  
Ryan slowly stood up and noticed the bear Digimon standing near him, just... staring. "Hey, little dude..." He slowly stepped over towards it. It just.. stood there. As he reached out very slowly to touch it, it growled and emitted a huge silver beam of light. "Whaa!!!" Ryan flew backwards into the air.  
  
"Whoa, what the-?!" The girl looked back at him and the light. "R-Renamon, let's move! Come on!"  
  
Ryan hit the ground finally. He felt all of his body lose strength, and his mind was slipping from his control. "W-whoa.. I.... Should've...... ... ... ..."  
  
..... "Aaah..." Ryan slowly opened his eyes to see a ceiling, just like the one in his room, meaning he must've been home. "Just a dream, I guess..." THen he rolled over on his side to see that the room was definately not his. "Whoa, where the heck am I?!" He slowly sat up as the Renamon walked in.   
  
"You're up. Good. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Uh... I don't know... Alright, I guess. Where am I?"  
  
"You're at Ruki's house. She wanted to leave you there, but I sense high ability of a Tamer in you."  
  
"A Tamer?" He looked down at himself. "Me?"  
  
"Yes. I'm not quite sure yet, but I sense a quiet strength and courage. One you don't know of yet."  
  
"That's weird... But if you say so."  
  
"You can go in the kitchen and get something to eat, if you wish."  
  
"Nah... I'll just stay here."  
  
"Very well. Ruki should be in in a minute to check on you. Rest well." Renamon left the room, leaving Ryan to sigh and lay back down. The bear Digimon was just outside the window, peeking in. He looked down at the watch he was carrying curiously as it beeped and brought an arrow up pointing in Ryan's direction. He looked back at Ryan and cocked his head a little.  
  
"Hey," the girl greeted calmly as she walked in. "Feeling any better?"  
  
"A little.." Ryan responded with a slight yawn. "Hey... Ruki, was it?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Thanks for helping me out back there."  
  
"Hey, no problem."  
  
"So... You're a Tamer, then?"  
  
"Yeah. But there's a little problem..." Ruki trailed off.  
  
"What's that?" Ryan was starting to enjoy Ruki's company. Her voice was really calming to him.  
  
"See..." She took out her cracked computerized device that she looked at the night before. "This is my D-Arc. It's what 'makes' me a Tamer."  
  
"Yeah... So?"  
  
"Well... See that crack?" she asked, and pointed to it.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"See, that means that it's been disabled. It won't work. All of the D-Arcs did that after the D-Reaper."  
  
"Wait a minute..." Ryan interrupted. "D-Reaper? Does that mean that... You're the famous Ruki MAKINO?" Ruki sighed.  
  
"Yeah, yeah.. That's me. I hate it, though."  
  
"Who'd hate being famous?"  
  
"I guess you were never popular at school, huh?"  
  
"... No, not really. Nope."  
  
"Well, from the time I became the card battle queen until now, even more now sicne the D-Reaper, I've been stalked, all the ugly and popular guys in school were all over me, I've been treated like some kind of animal that everyone watches for fun... Sure, Takato and the others like it, but I'm sick of it. I just wanna be treated like you - a normal, lower-class student in a no-name school."  
  
"... I go to Hammond Baptist."  
  
"Well, no-name to Japanese people, anyway."  
  
"Wow, so you don't like fame?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Well then... I could treat you like a normal, lower-class friend of mine if you want." Ruki smirked a little.  
  
"I guess that'd be okay." Ryan held his hand out and Ruki took it.   
  
"Ryan Stacey. Unknown, unpopular student of Hammond Baptist."  
  
"Ruki Makino. Popular transfer student from Japan." They both smiled a little at eachothers' jokes. "Hey, you said you went to Hammond Baptist?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'll see if my mom'll enroll me there. We're still looking."  
  
"Are you two saved?"  
  
"Yeah... That's a Christian school, right?"  
  
"Yeah it is."  
  
"Good, so I'll ask her later."  
  
"It costs a lot... Over two hundred a month," Ryan mumbled as he rolled his eyes. Ruki laughed a litle.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it, my mom's a model. She's got more money than she knows what to do with."  
  
"Man, are you lucky..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah..." Ruki laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow I guess. Oh, uh.. Here's my number." Ruki wrote down her phone number on a piece of pape and gave it to him. "Call me sometime when you get bored, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, will do. Later." Ryan jumped up and walked out.  
  
"Yeah... Later... Hey, America's not so bad, after all." She shrugged, then walked out to find Renamon.  
  
Ryan was wandering along the sidewalk back to his house, looking at the number. He finally put it away. All of a sudden, a jolt happened in his brain. "Aah... What the...?!" He dropped to his knees and had a flashback, darkness covering the area, unlike he remembered the real thing.  
  
***FLASHBACK***  
  
"Oh, oh harder..!" The girl that was screaming was about 24, married, and had two children. Ryan had no idea why he was doing what he was, but he was doing it anyway. He felt a burst come out of him into her 'lower areas'.  
  
"Ah, man, Jenny... I-.. I love-...." Then, suddenly, he felt darkness surround him and begin to pull at his heart. "Argh..! Crap...!!" (What'd I just DO?!) he thought. The darkness in the room flooded everything out. It didn't happen when he actually DID it, however.  
  
***END FLASHBACK***  
  
("Don't you see...?") A deep, dark voice echoed in his mind. ("You've now lost all remaining innocence you had. You may be weak, but if you let go and allow me to manifest your darkness, you can have more power than even me one day.")  
  
"You..." Ryan mumbled. "... You did this..." He stood up suddenly and swung his fist. "What do you WANT from me?!" This voice had been bothering Ryan for months. He didn't know why, either.  
  
"Your heart..." Ryan quickly turned to see a back, transparent shadow in the shape of a being. He slowly looked up much higher to see to top, and slanted red eyes. Ryan backed up a few steps.  
  
"Screw you! Lay off!" The shadow slowly reached its hand out. Then out of nowhere came the little bear Digimon. It flew into the shadow's hand and that silver light came again, burning the shadow's hand.  
  
"Aagh!!" it cried out in pain, and pulled its hand back.  
  
"Bear Fist!" The Digimon flew at the shadow and attacked with a flaming fist, doing very little damage.  
  
"The silver plug... No! Don't take it! Ryan, if you take the plug, I'll...! Eer...!!!" The angry scream of the shadow trailed off as it faded, and the frozen image around Ryan and the bear Digimon that was traced in black went back to normal.   
  
"You..! You're the Digimon from last night!" Ryan backed up a little.   
  
"W-wait!" The Digimon shouted at him. "I won't hurt ya! I'm here to give you this." He held the watch up. "The Silver D-Plug! And I'm also here to tell you that you're my partner! The D-Plug reads your presence like a book!"  
  
"Me...?"  
  
"A Tamer! A 'NEO-Tamer'!" He thought back to what Renamon said earlier.  
  
(Maybe... She was right...?) Ryan stared at the D-Plug, then slowly reached his hand out for it. 


	2. Breaking the Habit

Episode 2: Breaking the Habit  
  
Ryan put the watch on and looked at it.  
  
"Hit the bottom right button!" his partner said, excitedly. Ryan slowly hit the button, and once he did, his right arm shook uncontrollably.   
  
"Whoa..!"  
  
"It's a nerve scan! So no one else can use the D-Plug. Every time you use it, it scans your nervous system to make sure it's you." Ryan's arm finally stopped shaking.   
  
"Wow... Not bad..."  
  
"By the way, my name's Kumamon!" the little Digimon greeted with a smile.  
  
"Oh, uh, I'm-"  
  
"Ryan, I know. I've been waitin' for a kid with the name Ryan Stacey for my whole life! ... That's you, right?"  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
"Good." He smiled again. "Now let's get home!"  
  
"Yeah... Just don't let anyone see you."  
  
"Got it!"  
  
On the other side of town, in a large lake, a Seadramon came up out of the water and hissed. Ruki and Renamon ran up to the edge of the lake.  
  
"This one's gonna be a real pain..." Ruki mumbled. "Good luck with it..." Renamon leaped into the air over the lake and shot an attack at it, to no avail.  
  
"Whoa, what's THAT?!" Kumamon was referring to the ice crystals flying in the air in the distance. Ryan looked as well.   
  
(Ruki..?!) "C-come on, Kumamon! Let's go check it out!" Ryan ran off, Kumamon trying to keep up.  
  
"Diamond Storm!!" Another attack, same result. Seadramon was getting bored. He finally just swatted Renamon down with his tail, into the water, and held her there.  
  
"R-Renamon..!!" Ruki gasped to her partner. "Argh! Why can't you evolve?! Oh man... Oh maaan...!"  
  
"Bear Fist!" Suddenly, Kumamon flew into Seadramon with deadly force. Well, for a Child. Seadramon hissed and backed off, now changing his target to Kumamon.  
  
"Renamon!" Ruki ran to the edge of the lake and dove in for her partner. Ryan, meanwhile, stood behind Kumamon, both ready to kill.  
  
"Kumamon! Teach me how to use this D-Plug!" Kumamon looked back.  
  
"Alright, not much time! Just hit the 'scan' button, and once you do, just yell out a command! WHOA!!" Kumamon jumped, dodging an Ice Blast attack.   
  
"Alright, here goes..." Ryan sighed. He hit the button and it send a slight jolt through his arm. "M-Metal Parts!" At the sound of Ryan's voice, a flat green beam came from the D-Plug and went from the top of Kumamon to the bottom, attaching a steel helmet and claw to him.  
  
"Bear Fist!!" Kumamon leaped at the Seadramon once again, this time whipping a steel claw at it. He slashed the Seadramon across the stomach and made him hiss. He slowly sank into the lake, and by the time his head was nearly under, he shattered. Kumamon, now free of armor, landed on the land as Ruki swam up to shore.  
  
"Renamon!" Ryan called as he ran over to them. "You alright..?" Renamon coughed a little.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine..." Ruki looked at Ryan.  
  
"How did you...? What's that watch?"  
  
"Oh, this?" Ryan looked at it. "It's called a... 'D-Plug'."  
  
"I wish I had one... Renamon's been barely holding out as a Child lately..." Suddenly, a bright silver light shined from the D-Plug. "Whoa!"  
  
"What the heck?!" Ryan jumped back in surprised. The light became a concentrated beam that found its way to Ruki's D-Arc, then it went into it and made it glow. Ruki dropped in in surprise as it became a metallic blue-colored D-Plug, and fianlly stopped glowing.  
  
"Wow...! How'd you do that?!"  
  
"I-I didn't! Man, this thing's freakin' me out!"  
  
"Well... If it works.." She it on and just like Ryan, she was shocked. "Ow!!"  
  
"Whoops, forgot to warn you," Ryan laughed. "It scans your nerves." Her arm stopped shaking and she rubbed it.  
  
"Man, does it have to be so... .... Weird?"  
  
"It seems a little strange to me..." Ryan mumbled. "So now what?"  
  
"Don't know. I was supposed to do something... Can't remember now, though... Oh, CRAP!! I was supposed to go pay something! G-gotta go!" With that, Ruki and Renamon darted off. Ryan looked at Kumamon, Kumamon looked back, and then they just shrugged.   
  
"Well, whatever," Kumamon sighed. Ryan sat down on the ground and looked out over the lake, Kumamon next to him. "So... Is it fun being a Tamer?" Ryan sighed.  
  
"Yeah... But something still bugs me..."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"... That shadow..." Ryan's heart stopped at the thought of it. "It could probably destroy me with one blow..."  
  
"Not with me around, it can't!" Kumamon courageously assured him. Ryan laughed a little.  
  
"Thanks. ....."  
  
***FLASHBACK***  
  
"Come on, I know they're sour, but be a man!" There was that woman again. Her name was Jenny - she was someone Ryan knew through his grandma. She was babysitting him last night. She found some extremely SOUR strawberries that Ryan wouldn't eat.   
  
"Hey, what, just 'cuz I can't eat sour stawberries, I'm a little girl?" Ryan laughed.   
  
"No, no, but you'd be more grown-up if you could!" Finally, she had enough. She started forcing him to eat them. Then, the scene of them in bed, and Ryan's conscious coming to him about midway through their 'session'. She leaned in and whispered to him, "I don't care about anything... Marriage, my kids... Nothing... I will TORTURE you until you give me what I want... Just like when I had to feed you... You liked that, didn't you...?"  
  
[She was eleven years older than me! What was I thinking?!]  
  
***END FLASHBACK***   
  
Suddenly, the darkness ran through his heart again, and he held his stomach, leaning over. "A-aah..!"  
  
"Ryan? You okay?" Kumamon asked, poking his arm. Ryan looked over at him from the corner of his eye.  
  
"Kuma... mon....." he panted, and fell over unconscious.  
  
"Ack! Ryan?!"  
  
Ruki and Renamon walked through the streets, being stared at. Some in awe of her fame and beauty, some in awe of Renamon's ears other than that of her human state and her tail (she was in Gijinka form). Ruki couldn't really focus, since all she could think about was Ryan and his D-Plug. (That thing...) she thought. (What does it do, exactly? I mean, that was the same light that Kumamon used to repel Renamon that night. Is that light... ... What IS it?)  
  
"Ruki?" Renamon's voice brought her back to reality.  
  
"Oh, yeah, what?"  
  
"You passed up the door." Ruki looked back where Renamon was to see the door she was supposed to go into.  
  
"Oh, uh, sorry..." She turned around and the two walked into the room. An older lady greeted them at the desk.  
  
"Hello, young ladies! How are you two doing today?"  
  
"F-fine," Ruki studdered. She still wasn't fully in reality. The woman wrote down some things.  
  
"Alright, you'll need to go take the test in the junior high building. It's to the left, across the street. Talk to Mr. Wosley."  
  
"Alright, uh... Thanks." The two walked out and talked as they went.   
  
"Ruki, where is your head today? You're never like this," Renamon asked, a little concerned of her partner's focus when fighting.  
  
"Um... I just can't quit thinking about Ryan..." Renamon looked at her a little strangely, then Ruki stared at her expression momentarilly, trying to figure out what the reasn for it was. "... N-no! Not HIM! His D-Plug."  
  
"Oh," Renamon said calmly, looking back at where she was walking. The crossed the street and got in front of the building. Suddenly, Renamon grabbed Ruki from behind and rolled around behind the side of the building.  
  
"He-" Ruki started, but Renamon covered her mouth.  
  
"Shh!" she whispered. "There's something dangerous behind that wall!" The two peeked around the corner at a dark-looking young man - a Gijinka or some sort. He had ears like Tailmon's, only gray, and a black and gray tail.   
  
"It's just a Gijinka," Ruki whispered back. "Come on, he won't even notice us." The two rolled around the corner and slipped into the building. The Gijinka looked at the door at it shut, giving it a piercing glare.   
  
(There they are...)  
  
"Ryan?! Ryan! Wake up, kid!" Ryan's focus went slowly from blurry to clear as he saw Kumamon standing over him.   
  
"What... Happened...?"  
  
"You passed out. The D-Plug glowed about five minutes into your coma and woke you up."  
  
"The D-Plug...?" Ryan slowly sat up and looked at it.  
  
"Yep. Each D-Plug has a unique ability, so I heard. Maybe this one's to... wake up people?"  
  
"Maybe...." Ryan stared at the D-Plug, wondering himself what the ability could've accomplished. 


	3. Visions of Darkness

Episode 3: Visions of Darkness  
  
Ryan and Kumamon were walking towards 'home' when Ryan realized it - Jenny was there. Under NO circumstances could he be allowed to go back. "Kumamon... We can't go home."  
  
"Waddaya mean?" Kumamon asked curiously. "It's the only place TO go!"  
  
"No... SHE'S there..."  
  
"Who's... she?" Kumamon was now a little confused. He titled his head at Ryan.  
  
"It's... a long story. You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Ah, c'mon! I'm sure you can handle it! Besides, I'm here with ya! Come on, now let's go!!"  
  
"... Oh, alright... I guess you're right about having nowhere else to go." Kumamon nodded and they continued walking, Ryan having fears of going back. A few blocks down the road, Ruki and Renamon were both taking admissions tests. Renamon was nearly done, since she basically just guessed on all of them.   
  
"Who am I kidding? Digimon don't know anything about this world," she groaned. "Oh well. It's from Ruki's protection, so I have to." In the next room, Ruki was doing pretty good. She was halfway done and sure most of her answers were correct. But the D-Plug still bothered her. She paused on her test for a moment, her eyes trailing to her own D-Plug. Then, the principal walked in.  
  
"What's the matter? Watching the time?" he joked. "You'll be out of here soon enough, don't worry." Ruki looked up a little surprised, then gave him a slight courtesy laugh.  
  
"No, I was just thinking about something."  
  
"Well, concentrate on that test if you wanna be in a high math class." She nodded slightly, still not focused, and he walked out. She looked at the test for a moment, then at the window in front of her.   
  
"Huh..?!" She saw just a glimpse of something in the window before it ducked. ".... Hm. Whatever." She worked on her test again, not knowing she was being watched intently...  
  
Ryan and Kumamon, at this point, were at his front door. Ryan held it fist up to the door, but paused. "..... K-Kumamon, go hide."  
  
"Will do!" Kumamon climbed up the drain and into a window. Ryan took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, that same woman came to the door and gasped with relief.  
  
"Ryan...!" She threw her arms around him and began to kiss him deeply. He, however, pulled way from her and pushed through the door. She looked at him a little worried and closed to door. "Honey, where WERE you?! When you ran off last night, I thought-"  
  
"DON'T call me honey, alright?"  
  
".... But.. I'm having your BABY...." Ryan felt that same jolt of darkness as before. He fought not to show it, so he turned around quickly and started yelling.   
  
"That's YOUR fault! You FORCED me to do that, I couldn't get UP in that position you had me in! Then I'm sure you just did EVERYTHING possible afterward to get everything to drain down, right?!"  
  
"... Well, yeah. I love you, after all."  
  
"You're MARRIED, Jenny. MARRIED! You're eleven years older than me, for cryin' out loud! What I did last night wasn't controlled by FEELINGS!"  
  
"But I thought you..."  
  
"Loved you?! Of COURSE not! That's WRONG! I'm not like that!! Argh...! It was the d-" He suddenly caught himself.  
  
"... The what..?"  
  
"... Nothing. You wouldn't understand." With that, he simply walked upstairs and slammed the door to his room. "Kumamon, we're leaving. Now."   
  
"Where to?" Kumamon was still confused by his partner's words. He sighed and sat down. "There's nowhere TO go."  
  
"Yes there is," Ryan said with a slight tone of anger. "There better be." Ryan, unlike Kumamon, was up, trying not to hit something. Then he heard Jenny walking up the stairs. "Crap..." He looked back, then at Kumamon. "Kumamon, go into the next room and stay there." He nodded, and left quickly. A few seconds after, Jenny came in.  
  
"Ryan, honey, we have to work this out."  
  
"Work what out? You better work out what YOU did with your HUSBAND. Leave me out of this." Out of nowhere, she pushed him down on the bed and held his arms behind his back. Her lips were an inch from his.  
  
"No... I love YOU..." She kissed him, sending an invigoration release of tension throughout his body. "And right now, I'm going to make SURE you make me pregnant..." She slowly slid his shirt off, placed her arms back behind his back, and began kissing his neck. The feelings of extreme pleasure it gave him relaxed him, but the guilt he felt was taken by darkness. He was helpless again.  
  
(Why... can't I...? Aaah.....) His thoughts trailed off as he looked at his 'lover' and her now naked body. He slowly felt guilt and shaem take over, and he was left with no active conscience.  
  
... ... ... ... ... ...  
  
Later, he slowly awoke with her on top of him, both now completely naked. She was sleeping peacefully, and his unmentionable area was still in hers, everything completely wet. He still couldn't fully feel anything. "Kuma... mo... n....." he mumbled. Kumamon, of course, couldn't hear him. "Ru... ki... H-help me... Get the... darkness... a.... wa......" At that point, a smaller version of the shadow formed in his room. He looked over at it, but his vision was blurry. He had no idea what was happening.   
  
"You're so incredibly pathetic. That D-Plug has so much power... yet you cannot even use it."  
  
"W-wha... You're that....."  
  
"I, my dear friend, am the darkness that consumes you. I am your fear. And YOU are done."  
  
"What do you... mean....?"  
  
"What I mean is what came out of you while engaging in 'sexual action' with this woman... Was engulfed in darkness. The child that will be born in a matter of months will be the destruction of the world...."  
  
"Y-you... you're crazy..."  
  
"Thank you. Now, I must be going. Have fun with your lover." The shadow laughed under his breath and faded once again, Ryan still out of it.  
  
"I... Can't...." He slowly began to pass out again, when his D-Plug beeped. He looked over at it. "Must be... Ruki...? Aah.." He tried to move his hand from behind his back to grab the D-Plug and get up, but found out soon that his forearms had been tied together when he passed out. He supposed she REALLY didn't want him to get loose. It beeped again, and he tried to roll over, but it was no good. He groaned from the pain in his heart. "Man.. Cra-..."  
  
"Move it, Renamon! Come on!" Not far away, outside the school, Ruki and Renamon were running as fast as possible from the Gijinka they saw earlier. She looked at her D-Plug. "I'd swear it said 'Call'...! That's gotta mean call other Tamers, right?!"  
  
"I'm not sure, Ruki, but focus, will you?!" Renamon reminded.   
  
"Oh, right!" Ruki was brought back to reality and the two stopped and turned. Renamon took off her amulet and shined, causing her to turn into the real Renamon.   
  
"Diamond Storm!!" she called, leaping into the air. Numerous ice crystals were formed and attacked the Gijinka, but he simply backflipped aside. He held up his left hand, which had a leather glove on it, at them.   
  
"Nova Blast!!" A fireball formed in his hand and got extremely large. It flew at Renamon and Ruki tripped out of the way, falling on her knees, just as Renaon was hit.  
  
"Renamon?!" Ruki cried into the smoke. "Are you alright?!" Once the smoke cleared, Renamon was barely on one knee.  
  
"U-ugh... I'm fine..." She slowly regained her balance on got to her feet. Ruki stood up as well.  
  
"Let me see if this works..." She hit the scan button and the area around them turned ice blue. "Command: Evolution!" She called out, her voice echoing. A green light came out from the D-Plug and went from Renamon's feet to her head, turning her into a digital grid holding her former shape.  
  
"Renamon, shinka..!" Renamon's grid form shaped into that of Kyuubimon, and the beam went back down her, covering her with Kyuubimon's body. "Kyuubimon!!" The area around them turned normal once again, revealing Kyuubimon in front of the Gijinka, at full strength.  
  
"Now, rip him apart!" Ruki ordered, and Kyuubimon attacked right away. She leaped forward and grabbed him forearm in her teeth, rolling them over a few times. She landed on top of him and closed down on his arm with crushing force. He just layed there and took it staring deep into Kyuubimon's eyes. She was looking at him like a pitbull fighting an intruder at first but slowly, her expression loosened, and her mind faded in and out of the battle. The Gijinka threw Kyuubimon off of him, onto her back, and stood up. "Argh! Kyuubimon!!" Ruki yelled a bit angrilly. "Come on, get your head in the fight!" Kyuubimon slowly stood up and shook her head, the effect of the hypnotism wearing off.  
  
"Er..! Fox Tail Inferno!!" Kyuubimon called out, throwing flames at him from her tail. He simply held his left hand up, formed another Nova Blast, and the two attacks collided.   
  
"V-Nova Blast!" A V-shaped laser formed in front of his hadn and whipped at Kyuubimon. It connected, throwing her down.  
  
"Aargh..!!" She got back up again, slowly losing strength.  
  
"Ryan.. Where are you...?!" Ruki mumbled angrily.  
  
Ryan was now passed out again, having no idea of anything that was happening with Ruki. His mind was extremely active, though. He went into an entirely interactive dream world that he'd soon realize he didn't want to enter... 


	4. Kage ni Aruki

Chapter 4: Kage ni Aruki  
  
Ryan found himself waking up in a small city. Everything was dim, and trimmed in a smeared black. Ryan found himself as a young, 4 year-old boy. "Where... where am I...?" Suddenly, he heard a crash in the other room. "Huh?" He went to open his door, but found that it was locked.  
  
"Do you really want to see what's behind that door, Ryan...?" a voice echoed. It was the shadow from before... The same Darkness.  
  
"Yeah, now lemme through."  
  
"Very well..." The door clicked and Ryan reached way up to turn the knob. When he came out, he saw blood everywhere. His mom and her tall, skinny boyfriend were both drunk and were breaking beer bottles over eachothers' backs and heads. Ryan gasped a little. "That's my... Mom...! Get me outta here!"  
  
"I cannot do that," the shadow responded mercilessly. "It was your desicion." Ryan tried to stay brave and stepped up to the two.  
  
"I'm gonna go get some food, you son of a bitch!" his mother yelled at his boyfriend. "Stay here and watch Ryan!" She stormed out the door and the man, named Larry, looked at Ryan. He just stared for a moment, his eyes bloodshot from his drinking.  
  
"... What're YOU lookin' at?!" he finally demanded, hiccuping. He plopped down on the couch and picked up a steel bat next to him, hitting the ground with it for fun.  
  
"You... You shouldn't be drinking, you know! It's bad for your health, I heard!"  
  
"Aah, whadda you care, ya little bastard..?!?!" He stood up and swung the bat at Ryan,  
  
"Whoa!!" Ryan crawled under the glass table in front of the couch, then his heart stopped. (I...! I remember this..!!) Suddenly, the bat hit the glass, and it shattered causing Ryan to cover himself and close his eyes tightly. He gasped and his eyes shot open. He was now at normal height, in front of his dad's apartment. Everything was still outlined in black, but he didn't recongine that. He just let out a sigh of relief to be home. "Man, that was weird.."  
  
"You've seen the past..." the shadow echoed omniously. "Now, you'll see the future..."  
  
"... Huh...?" He shook his head and walked up to the door, than rang the buzzer. He got a busy signal. "Hey, how in the...?" He dialed again, and got the same thing. "Wonder where he could be...?" He pulled at the door to see that the lock was shot out. "... Huh...?" His heart raced, and he began to panic. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He looked at the knob to his dad's door - it was also blown out. "Oh, crap... Oooh CRAP!!" He kicked the door open to see his dad lying on the couch, blood EVERYWHERE, and his mother with a gun pointed at him. She looked up at him and, without a word, shot a bullet at him. "Whoa...!" He put his arms up and moved back, but the image froze there. He peeked out from behind his arms to see the bullet frozen in front of his face.  
  
"This is the future," the shadow said in a non-echoing voice behind him. He quickly turned to face it.   
  
"You're lying!" Ryan yelled angrily, holding back tears of shock from earlier.  
  
"No. This will happen within months, in fact."  
  
"You piece of...!" Ryan had had enough. He ran at the shadow and swung his fist at its face. His fist stopped, however, and he was thrown back into the apartment. He got up without heistation and ran at him again.  
  
"Ryan, wait!" another voice called. He stopped what he was doing and turned around in a fighting stance.  
  
"What do you things WANT?!" A bright silver figure, like the shadow, appeared in front of him.  
  
"Do not fear me."  
  
"Gyaramon! Leave now!" the shadow ordered. The figure, Gyaramon, turned to look at him.  
  
"Nyxmon, get out of this boy's mind."  
  
"Er... I'll go for now... But I WILL be back... I'll destroy you one day, Gyaramon! Mark my words!" The shadow then disappeared.  
  
"Ryan..." Gyaramon looked at him again. "It is true that your father will be killed."  
  
"W-what...?!"  
  
"But you can stop it. As long as you know what will happen, you can do your best to prevent it. Do not allow Nyxmon to make you think differently."  
  
"... You're sure...?"  
  
"Of course. Ryan, you have a large amount of courage within you, if it only awakens. You also feel strong love. Of course, Jenny was not the person to bestow that love upon. But you'll find the right girl someday... I promise."  
  
"Wow, thanks... Was it... Gyaramon?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Gyaramon, what about this darkness I've got...?"  
  
"It can be overcome. Do you remember what Kumamon told you about the D-Plug?" Ryan looked at his D-Plug.  
  
"He said... They all have unique abilities."  
  
"Exactly. And, you didn't know it, but the Silver D-Plug has the ability to overcome darkness. It can give you strength. Allow it to."  
  
"Thanks... For everything, Gyaramon."  
  
"My pleasure. Now, back to reality with you. It's your time to shine!" The silver light was emitted once again and it drown out everything.  
  
In reality, Ryan's eyes shot open. His strength was fully replenished. He began to roll over, which woke Jenny up.  
  
"Hmm...? Ryan? What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm making my own destiny..." He nearly rolled her off of him, but she rolled back over and trapped him down.  
  
"Oooh no, ya don't..." she taunted. "You're not going anywhere..."  
  
"Allow me to disagree... Kumamon!" Kumamon came bursting in at the order, making Jenny screetch and jump off of Ryan. "Cut me loose!"  
  
"You got it!" Kumamon's claws cut through the leather bands easily, and Ryan threw all of his clothes on.   
  
"Jenny? I suggest you keep quiet about all this. My grandma'd kill you, your husband'd hate you, and it'd prove that opposite of your 'loving me' like you say." He then grabbed his D-Plug, which was beeping again, and put it on. "Hang on, Ruki... I'm comin'... Let's bounce, Kumamon!" The two ran out of the room and eventually the house, Jenny looking at the door.  
  
"H-huh....?" 


	5. The Birth of Kirai

Episode 5: The Birth of Kirai  
  
Ruki backed up a little. All hope seemed pretty much gone. Kyuubimon had devolved, the Gijinka had lost absolutely no energy, and there wasn't much that could be done. Renamon stumbled over to her partner.  
  
"I'm... Sorry, Ruki..."  
  
"No, no, that's alright... You tried your best." Renamon sighed and got her balance back.   
  
"It looks like running is the best option right now."  
  
"Looks like the only option... C'mon, let's go!" The two ran away as fast as they could. The Gijinka was still after them, though. He ran incredibly fast - like nothing Ruki'd ever seen before. But, despite all that, the two kept running.  
  
Ryan, on the other hand, was still a good ways away from them. He was on the other end of a busy highway from them. "Kumamon, we've gotta get there! Ruki's in big trouble, I can feel it!"  
  
"Hm... I know, but... Er, all we can do is run to her!"  
  
"Or..." Ryan looked at a parked sports car with the keys still in it. "Hm..."  
  
An instant later, the two were flying down the highway. Ryan was pretty good for thirteen, at lane-skipping and all that.  
  
"Wow, you're a pretty good driver!" Kumamon complimented.  
  
"Yeah, thanks!" He sped the little car up as fast as it would go and continued across the highway.  
  
Ruki was still in big trouble. She and Renamon were running out of breath, but that Gijinka was STILL in good shape."Man..! How... does he... DO that...?!" Finally, she had to stop and she fell to her knees. Renamon turned to fight the Gijinka, panting quietly. The Gijinka stopped and held its gloved hand up at them. Out of seemingly nowhere came the little teal sportscar, skidding to a stop next to Ruki. Its back end slid all the way around as it stopped, making it face back the way her came. He threw the door open.   
  
"Hey, hurry up, you two!" Ruki and Renamon looked at eachother for a second, then Renamon helped her in and jumped in after. Ryan slammed the door and sped off just as the fireballs flew. The Gijinka stepped up a few steps and glared at the car.  
  
"I'll get you one day, Ruki Makino... Just you wait..."  
  
On down the highway, the car was still going strong - a good 180. "Hey, did that 'Call' button work?!" Ruki yelled over the wind.  
  
"Yeah! I just needed some time to get my head together!"  
  
"Well it sure TOOK ya long enough!"   
  
"I suppose I'll draw attention like this..." Renamon mumbled, and put on her amulet, turning her into a Gijinka again.   
  
"Wow!" Kumamon shouted. "That's awesome!" Renamon smirked.  
  
"Thanks." Then, Ryan saw some red and blue lights behind him.  
  
"Oh, CRAP..!"  
  
"Don't try and run, just stop.." Ruki mumbled kinda loudly over the wind. Ryan brought the car to a halt along the side of the road and the officer did the same behind him. Kumamon hid under the seat as the officer stepped up the car.  
  
"License and registration please?" Ryan and Ruki look at eachother for a second, then at the officer.  
  
"I uh... I'm only thirteen, sir..."  
  
"Oh really? So is this car your parents'?"  
  
"N-no sir... I took it from the street, so I could-"  
  
"You took it from the street, eh? Well, that's about enough out of you. Can all of you step out of the car please?" They all did as directed and the officer handcuffed them, read them their rights, and shoved them in the back of his car. As he drove off, Kumamon peeked out from behind the dashboard. His big eyes blinked with curiosity, until he thought of something to do.  
  
"Ruki's mom! Yeah!" He climbed up the car door and hopped out, running to find Ruki's house again.  
  
Meanwhile, in the juvinile detention center, Ruki and Ryan were placed in cell right next to one another, and Renamon was in one across from them.  
  
"Dang, I thought this'd happen..." Ryan groaned. "Oh well..."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. You saved our lives, anyway," Ruki laughed. "Besides, I'm sure my mom'll find us and pay the fee."  
  
"Yeah, for you two, but I'M the one that stole a CAR.."  
  
"... Good point..." All three of them sighed together, and Ryan sat down.   
  
"Oh well." After a few seconds, they heard a voice down the hall.  
  
"I'll give you 60,000 for all of them! You'd better let my daughter go NOW, or I'll beat the living CRAP out of you!!"  
  
"Lady, lady, okay!" Ruki stared down the hall a second, then looked at Renamon and laughed a little.  
  
"Yep, that's my mom.." The officer walked down the hall and released Ruki and Renamon. Immediately, they were both hugged by Ruki's mom.  
  
"Oh, are you two alright?! You didn't get raped by any fat men, did you?! I'll sue if you did!!"  
  
"No, mom, we're fine!" Ruki laughed. "It's just a detention center, after all..." Ruki's mom sighed and backed off.  
  
"I'll let these two go," the officer interrupted, "but the guy stays. He's the one that stole and drove without a license." Ruki looked up at the officer with strangely sympathetic eyes.  
  
"Sir, you don't understand... He saved my life. He took that car to keep me from being hurt."  
  
"Rule are rules, kid. Sorry." Ruki's mom ducked down into the officer's line of view, glaring at him.   
  
"Sir, do you know what a Digimon Tamer is?"  
  
"N-no, ma'am, can't say I do." She stood up straight making the officer look up as well.  
  
"The kids that SAVED the WORLD two years ago? Well my daughter and her friend are two of them. They were simply trying to protect this city. ANd if you're going to hold him for that, I can't say you have ANY honor!!"  
  
"I'm sorry lady, but it's against the rules."  
  
"How 'bout if I give you 50,000 extra for him?"  
  
"No-can-do." She leaned over to him, looking around to make sure no one was looking.  
  
"... I'll add in a night over personal naked pole danciiing..." The officer gulped.  
  
"Done." He unlocked Ryan and Ryan sighed.  
  
"Alright," Ruki sighed. "Let's get outta here."  
  
Later on, they were all at Ruki's house. It was now pretty late - the sun had just finished setting and it made a light orange-purple horizon at the botom of the sky. They were all sitting in different places of the couch - one of those couches that makes a half-circle around the room. Ryan leaned back.  
  
"Really, Ms. Makino, thanks for breaking me out of there. But are you SURE you wouldn't mind doing what you promised..?"  
  
"Me? Oh, naah.." She waved her hand non-chalantly at him. "I'm a model, after all. I'm used to things like that."  
  
"If you say so..."  
  
"So, mom, how'd you find us?" Ruki asked, sipping a glass of soda.  
  
"He found me," she replied, and pointed to Kumamon.  
  
"Kumamon, you son of a gun!" Ryan laughed and patted his head.  
  
"Hahaa! Well, it was really nothin'... ... The walking was, but..."  
  
"Well, Ryan, you better go home before your mom or dad or whoever get freaked out..."  
  
"Good idea," Ryan agreed, as he stood up. "C'mon, Kumamon." Kumamon hopped off the bed and the two left for home. Ruki, her mother, and Renamon all watched them leave. Finally, Ruki's mother looked at her.  
  
"Ruki... Do you 'like' him?" Ruki looked at her quickly.  
  
"Of course not! Mom, I just MET him!" She simply laughed.  
  
"Just wondering, honey. Now you'd better get some sleep."   
  
Meanwhile, at Ryan's grandma's house, Jenny was sitting up thinking about the past couple of days. Then, she saw it - the shadow - Nyxmon... She gasped a little and jumped up.  
  
"Jenny... I've been looking for you..." he said in a dark tone.  
  
"Wh-what about me...?!"  
  
"The child that is forming within you... You see... I need that child. I was the one who made you infatuated with Ryan... I manifested the darkness within him and focused it in every drop of sperm he put into you... Forming in you now is a child that will destroy the world when fully-grown..."  
  
"Y-you what...?! What are you talking about...?"  
  
"Just watch..." At the snap of his fingers, Jenny's love for Ryan was sapped out.  
  
"... W-what'd I DO?!"  
  
"See what I mean...? Now, I need that child a little sooner than expected... So let's say we speed the process up a little, shall we...?" He slowly stepped towards her, making her back up.  
  
"S-stay away from me, you..!" She tripped and fell on the bed, Nyxmon still stepping towards her.  
  
"I can promise you this will be VERY painful... But once it's over, you won't remember a thing..." Nyxmon said, letting out a slight laugh. Ripped her skirt and unerwear off, and spred her legs way out.  
  
"Don't touch me, you creep!!" Not regarding her wishes, Nyxmon held her legs apart and a black glow came from his hands. Jenny started panting and screaming, her stomach expanding rappidly. "A-aa-aah...!! Wha-t are you... doing to me...?!?!" She closed her eyes tightly, hokding backtears of pain.  
  
"Just relax, dear... Relax..." Jenny opened her eyes and and looked down at her vaginal area. A claw reached out of it, making it expand, and making blood seep out of it.   
  
"Oh, dear G-... No, this isn't happening....! Aaah...!!!" She screamed once again.  
  
"I said, relax! You'll be better off when it's over." He slowly reached his claw in towards her vaginal areas. She shook her head slowly.  
  
"No, please... Don't do that... No... No...." Quickly, Nyxmon shoved his claw into her and she screamed so loud, lights turned on across the street.  
  
"What the heck?!" Ryan, who was a little ways down the street, looked up.  
  
"I think that came from your place!" Kumamon suggested.  
  
"I think you're right! Come on, let's go! Quick!" They began to run towards his house as fast as they could.  
  
Inside, Jenny was still screaming, and tears were pouring out of her eyes like no tomorrow. Nyxmon's claws was now up into her stomach, grabbing at things, and finally, he RIPPED the creature out of her, making her scream out even more in extreme pain. Kyxmon held the small, evil-looking Digimon up in his claw.   
  
"Ah, my successor..." Nyxmon looked at Jenny, who was still clenching the sheets of the bed as tight as she could. "... Thank you, dear. In a few minutes you'll pass out. When you wake up, you won't remember a thing." Nyxmon and the creature disappeared, just as Ryan and Kumaon ran in.  
  
"Holy CRAP!!" Ryan looked at Jenny, who was panting and moaning in pain. He lower areas were stretch to a degree Ryan thought was never POSSIBLE, there was blood all down the bed, along her tighs, and still seeping out of her vagina. She slwoly loosened grip on the sheets, let her legs slide down, and passed out.  
  
"What HAPPENED here...?" Ryan asked himself. "Was it.. Nyxmon...?" 


	6. Command: Evolution!

Episode 6:" Command: Evolution!"  
  
After Ryan cleaned up Jenny and his bedroom, he carried Jenny back to her house, which was a good ten blocks away. He set her in her bed and, thankfully, her husband and kids weren't home yet. He and Kumamon then walked back home and talked about Nyxmon - who he was and why he was after Ryan in particular - until Ryan's grandma got home from her trip. After a little bit of being yelled at for no reason, he called Ruki and told her about everything. After an hour's worth of conversation with him and Ruki, he finally got to laying down.  
  
"Kumamon...?" he whispered.  
  
"Yeah...?"  
  
"Do you think... The D-Plug can really repel Nyxmon?"  
  
"I dunno..." Kumamon began, then remembered something. "Hey, when I was just a little Fresh Digimon, I was told by a wise old guy named Jiijimon that one of us'd be paired up with 'the one chosen to conquer fear'. Lemme see if I can remember the whole prophecy thingy... Um, as said by Jijimon...  
  
'Upon the fall of the sun and the rise of the curse will come great fear. But, there will be one chosen to conquer fear. That human will lead other partners of... maybe yours, maybe someone else's... into the deepest darkness. This darkness was a result of the chosen child's heart. This child is called 'Candle of Courage', for a candle can give light as well as burn. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever this child is, one of you will end up with them. If and when you do, you must promise to always protect him, and help his abilities grow...'  
  
Then of course we all said in unison, 'Yes, Jijimooon.' But that's a little something how it went. I just wonder if that's you?"  
  
"Me?" Ryan asked, a little tone of joking in his voice. "Naah... I'm barely even a Tamer."  
  
"Hey, ya never know," Kumamon yawned. "I don't get the whole 'darnkess a result of the Candle of Courage's heart' bit... But whatever. 'Night."  
  
"Goodnight..." Ryan thought about it for a while... Until finally, his thoughts sent him to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Ruki slowly woke up and stretched. "Aaah, man...! I had some weird dreams last night..."  
  
"No wonder," Renamon yawned. "You had a rough day yesterday."  
  
"I wonder how Ryan's doing?" She asked herself. "He really seemed uptight about this 'Nyxmon'..."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine," Renamon assured. "He just needs a little time to get over some of the things he's seen."  
  
"Yeah... Well, I guess I'd better change now.."   
  
"I'll see you outside, then?" Ruki nodded.  
  
"Sure. Be right there." Renamon then left the room and Ruki tiredly slid her shirt off, trying to wake up. She, however, had no idea that the Gijinka from yesterday was watching. She also had no idea that the human part of the Gijinka was obsessed with her. The Gijinka hid under the window and tightened the glove on his hand.  
  
"Ace, what's wrong with you...?" it asked itself. "... No, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm perfectly human. ... Or am I...? Ah, I don't know.." He peeked back over the window to look again.  
  
"And WHAT exactly do YOU think you're looking at?"  
  
"Whoa!" The Gijinka, who's name we learned was Ace, jumped and truned to see Ryan standing there with his arms crossed and Kumamon growling softly at him. "Th-that's none of your business!"  
  
"I'll tell you what IS my business is one of my only friends' personal privacy, so get ready to reap what you sowed..." Ryan threatened, and cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Hah! You? You're not even worth my breaking a sweat!"  
  
"So what exactly are you gonna do about it?"  
  
"What if I send two Digimon around downtown to crush this little town?"  
  
"Like you can do it..." Ryan mumbled, rolling his eyes. Then, he heard an explosion in the distance behind him. "Wha?!" He quickly turned around.  
  
"Have fun!" Ryan quickly turned back around as Ace ran out of sight.  
  
"Er...! Kumamon, let's move!"  
  
"But waddabout-"  
  
"Ruki, right, I'll go get her! Wait here." With that, Ryan stormed inside and opened Ruki's door quickly.  
  
"ACK!!" Ruki screamed, covering herself with a shirt. "WHAT?!?!"  
  
"S-sorry, but we've gotta move NOW! Some Gijinka sent two Digimon on opposite sides of town to blow this place up!" RUki's expression quickly changed from mad to frightened.  
  
"Gijinka..?! I-I'll be right out..!" Ryan nodded and ran back out to his partner, ordered, "C'mon, Kumamon!" as he went by, and they two ran as fast as possible towards downtown. Ruki came out shortly after, fully-clothed, her hair still down from rushing.  
  
"Renamon, let's go! Quick!" She pressed 'Scan' on her D-Plug and the area around them turned blue again. "Command: Evolution!"   
  
"Renamon, shinka!" The same thing as before happened... "Kyuubimon!!" ... causing Kyuubimon to emerge from the data grid.   
  
"We gotta hurry," Ruki reminded Kyuubimon, and she looked at her D-Plug. She hit a button with brought a hologram-type map up from her D-Plug. "There's two, alright... Chapions. Looks like Ryan's gonna take the close one." She hit the button again, making the map disappear, and hopped on Kyuubimon's back. "The other one's down on the highway somewhere! Let's go!" Kyuubimon, without hesitation, began to run.  
  
Ryan and Kumamon had made it to the downtown stretch of the small town, where the police station had been leveled and the courthouse was in flames. The fire station was there trying to put out the flames already. Ryan looked past all of the action to see a Tyrannomon in the distance, stomping on houses, traffic lights, whatever he wanted. "Kumamon, let's move!" The two ran off past the chaos and finally up behind the Tyrannomon. They slipped up in front of it and turned, glaring at him. He just blew smoke and kept walking. "Kumamon, a-" He was cut off by the sound of a crying girl.  
  
"Lopmon! Lopmoon!!" is what she was crying.   
  
"Eh?" Ryan looked around and finally found a young girl trying to pull something out of some debris. She was in Tyrannomon's path. Ryan quickly ooked back at Kumamon. "Hold him off!" Kumamon nodded.  
  
"I'll try...!" Kumamon leaped up to attack, and Ryan ran off to held the girl.   
  
"Hey, kid! You better move!" The girl looked at him as he ran to her.   
  
"But...! But my poor Lopmon's stuck under this big rock!" she sobbed.  
  
"You don't have time to get a-" He was going to say 'toy', but he was cut of by Lopmon's soft groaning.  
  
"Lopmon!!" the girl exclamed, kneeling back down to her friend.   
  
"It's a real Digimon?! Well, in that case, I might as well try..." Ryan took a deep breath and got his hands under the big boulder, than udes all of his leverage to lift it op a few inches. The girl quickly grabbed Lopmon out of it and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Lopmon, you're okay!!" Ryan immediately dropped the piece of debris and panted.   
  
"Shiu... chon...?" Lopmon mumbled, then passed out.  
  
"Just rest.. You'll be okay..." She softly hugged Lopmon again.  
  
"Move!" Her hug was cut off by Ryan's voice.  
  
"H-wha..!" Before she knew it, she was lifted up from behind and on the ground, in Ryan's arms. Tyrannomon just missed them with his foot.  
  
(Oh, wooow...!!) Shiuchon exlamed in her mind. (This feels great...! Now I know what Jen meant by being hugged is a good feeling! Wow....) Suddenly, her thoughts were cut off by Ryan letting her go and standing up. Kumamon was attacking without mercy, but it was going nowhere fast. Shiuchon stood up and stared at Ryan, eyes wide open. (He's a Tamer..?!) Finally, Kumamon was flung high into the air and flipping backwards rappidly.  
  
"Whooa!!" he called out while flipping.  
  
"Kumamon..!!" Ryan let out, his D-Plug glowing. He hit 'Scan' and the entire area around them turned into a solide silver - no buildings, no sky, just silver and the two Tamers and all the Digimon. "Command: Evolution..!" The green light came from the D-Plug and did the same to Kumamon as it did to Renamon.   
  
"Kumamon, shinka!" he called, his voice echoing. The data grid took the shape of a giant bear, and was such wehn it was covered back in this outter shell. "Grizzmon!!" Everything turned normal and upon flipping again, Grizzmon slammed down on his feet, sliding backwards a few yards. He then burst forward and Tyrannomon, biting into his forearm, and Tyrannomon roared in pain.  
  
"That's it, Grizzmon! Kill him!" Finally, Grizzmon was tossed back, landing on his feet again.  
  
"Fire Blast!" Tyrannomon called, throwing flames at Grizzmon.  
  
"Maul Attack!!" Grizzmon set on fire and flew forward. The flames from Tyrannomon were ripped in half, and once Grizzmon collided with his target, a huge explosion occured. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was Grizzmon, growling. "... Try me again...." 


	7. Duke and Fangmon

Episode 7: Duke and Fangmon  
  
Kyuubimon finally reached the parking lot of a WalMart and Ruki looked up on the roof, where everyone's attention was. "I guess it's up there," she suggested. "Let's go, Kyuubimon!" Kyuubimon ran and leaped onto the roof, where she found a dog-like Digimon with a very long snout and extremely sharp fangs was standing, looking the other way. It was just a little smaller than herself. "  
  
"Should we attack...?" Kyuubimon asked. "After all, he doesn't seem to be causing any trouble..."  
  
"It doesn't matter to me, just get 'im!" Ruki ordered, and jumped down.   
  
"Very well... Dragon Wheel!" Kyuubimon called out, and rolled at the Digimon. Without turning, he jumped up and landed behind Kyuubimon. She halted to a stop and turn around. "You, what kind of a Digimon are you...?" Kyuubimon asked softly. "You don't seem to be causing trouble... Why are you here?" The Digimon simply growled and snapped his fangs, making Kyuubimon gasp slightly and get into a hesitant fighting position.   
  
"Coffin Blaster!" the Digimon ordered, and a black beam flew from its mouth.  
  
"Ah!" Kyuubimon leaped over it, the attack barely missing. She landed and looked back as she heard a train's horn in the distance. There were tacks only a matter of 15 yards from the roof they were on. She then brought her attention back to her opponet and its fangs snapped right in front of her face. She snapped back and the two began a dogfight.  
  
"Man, now what..?" Ruki asked herself aloud. "There's no upgrades for THIS..." The two Digimon continued to fight as the horn got louder. Finally, Kyuubimon snapped a shot at the enemy's leg, and its foot was injured. He broke away from Kyuubimon and backed up a little. The train horn blew again, louder this time, and he looked past Kyuubimon. A few seconds later, the horn was EXTREMELY loud, and the train flew by them. The Digimon backed up a little, looking at Kyuubimon, then finally leaped onto the top of the train.  
  
"Ruki, stay here so I can find you!" Kyuubimon ordered, and leaped onto the train as well.  
  
"Does she really expect me to DO that..?" Ruki laughed a little to herself. She took a deep breath and made a running leap for the train. Since she was no Digimon, she didn't make it all the way across, but managed to barely grab a hold of a ladder than one on the side of a car. "Whoa, crap..!" She looked down, her feet only a few feet from the tracks. She struggled to pull herself up the later.  
  
In the meantime, up about five cars, Kyuubimon was car-hopping across the train towards the Digimon. He was also running forward - but he didn't have much more space until the engine. Despite this, he continued to move. He finally ended up on the front of the engine. The horn blew once again, making him jump. He looked back to see Kyuubimon closing fast. He then looked forward again, wind blowing his thin layer of fur slightly. He saw something up ahead - a station! He sighed with relief as they neared it. He turned around again, right in time to see Kyuubimon diving at him. The collision caused the two to slam down right outside the platform of the station. Their fall wasn't deadly, however, since the train had begun to slow up. He escaped Kyuubimon's grasp once again and hopped onto the platform, running across it. Kyuubimon followed in hot pursuit. Finally, the train was moving at only around ten miles an hour as it crossed the platform. The two Digimon had reached a standoff at this point, since a building's side prevented their further movement. Ruki came hopping along the cars until she finally jumped off beside Kyuubimon and landed on one knee. She stood up straight and sighed.  
  
"Alright, Kyuubimon, walk all over him..."  
  
"Wait! Don't hurt Fangmon!" a little boy's voice came from seemingly nowhere. They all looked to see someone running towards them, and he slide in front of Fangmon. "Fangmon isn't bad! He's MY Digimon! He's nice!"  
  
"Not if he was sent by that Gijinka, he isn't!" Ruki argued.  
  
"No, I was waiting for this train here when he told me there was trouble! He went to stop it! See? He's a good Digimon!" The boy turned around to pet Fangmon.  
  
"I'm sorry for any misunderstanding I may have caused," Fangmon apollogized. "I thought you were one of them. But I should've known from the fact that you have a Tamer with you.  
  
"Exactly," Ruki said with a hint of anger in her voice. "You didn't have to try and rip us to shreds."  
  
"Hey, I said I'm sorry. Besides, I'm the one that got injured."  
  
"You're hurt?!" the boy cried in surprise and concern. "Where?!" Fangmon laughed.  
  
"Duke, really, I'm fine."  
  
"Duke?" Kyuubimon asked. "What an interesting name..."  
  
"Yeah..." Duke sighed. "I got it from my Italian family history. I dunno why."  
  
"You... Ruki..." Nyxmon's voice came from behind Ruki and Kyuubimon. They both turned as he appeared. "You can help me..."  
  
"You're... Nyxmon, aren't you?" Ruki asked, a little scared for a change.  
  
"So.. You've heard of me. I need you to lure a certain friend of yours out to me..."  
  
"Shove it, loser! I'm not telling you where Ryan is!" Ruki snapped, backing up a little.  
  
"Then I suppose I'll have to torture it out of you..." He slowly stepped forward and reached out, but Kyuubimon jumped in the way, growling.  
  
"Don't you touch her..!" Kyuubimon warned.  
  
"Step aside, fool, or I'll make you." The threats began to fly.  
  
"I'll rip you apart limb by limb, you...!!"  
  
"Hah! Seeing you try would be quite amusing..."  
  
"How's this for amusing?! Fox Tail Inferno!!" Kyuubimon shot balls of blue flames at Nyxmon, but they simply went through him. He laughed in that evil tone of his.  
  
"I don't even need this form to defeat you!" he taunted, and his shape took on physical armor. "Come at me, I dare you!" Suddenly, Fangmon leaped off of a wall to the side of Nyxmon and tackled him.   
  
"Run, Kyuubimon!" he barked, and Ruki and Kyuubimon took off. Duke cimbled up on Fangmon's back as fast as he could and the two followed them.  
  
"Argh..! Now you've done it...!" Nxymon grumbled as he stood up and watched them. He floated after them at high speed and began throwing black electro-orbs at them.  
  
"We really need some help, here!" Ruki minded, and jumped on Kyuubimon's back so she didn't have to slow down. "Any ideas, Duke?!"  
  
"Yeah, I've got one!" The area around them turned black as Duke hit 'Scan'. "Command: Upgrade! Bullet-time!" He echoed, and one everything returned to normal, Fangmon left Kyuubimon in the dust.  
  
"Whoa..! Thanks, kid!" Ruki then hit the button as well. "Command: Upgrade! Bullet-time!" Kyuubimon darted off after Fangmon, and Nyxmon finally stopped.  
  
"... I'll find him one day... And now Miss Makino and that Fangmon have a part as well... Hmp." Nyxmon turned away and faded just before another train flew past where he was standing. 


	8. Man vs Machine

Episode 8: Man vs. Machine  
  
Kyuubimon and Fangmon finally found Ryan and the now-devolved Kumamon in the midsts of the wreck. Ruki hopped off Kyuubimon and she devolved.  
  
"Ryan, are you alright?" Ruki asked, looking him over for bad cuts.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"RUKI?!" Shiuchon shouted in surprise and happiness. Ruki looked looked back to see Shiuchon running towards her, then she turned all the way around.  
  
"Hey!" Ruki laughed as Shiuchon ran into her arms and squeezed her. She finally let and and Ruki kneeled down. "Wow, you're really grown up! I've gotta look up to you when I kneel now!" Shiuchon laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I know!"  
  
"You know her?" Ryan cut in. Ruki looked back, then stood up and faced him.  
  
"Yeah, she's an old friend. Why?" Shiuchon tugged on Ruki's shirt and she looked down. Shiuchon then pointed at Ryan all excited.  
  
"He saved me and Lopmon! He's so COOL!!" Ruki laughed a little and smirked at Ryan.  
  
"'Cool', huh? Yeah, he's alright..." Ryan scratched his head and laughed a little, nervously.   
  
"Hey, I helped! I'm the one that EVOLVED!" Kumamon interrupted.  
  
"You finally evolved, hm?" Renamon teased, patting his head. "How'd it feel?"  
  
"AWESOME!" Ryan looked behind Ruki at Fangmon and Duke.  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
"Oh," Ruki started, turning around. "This is Duke and Fangmon. They helped us escape Nyxmon."  
  
"Nyxmon?! He attacked you?"  
  
"Yeah," Duke said, getting in on the whole conversation. He hopped off Fangmon and stepped forward. "He wanted Ruki to tell him where you were, I think."  
  
"Yeah, he did... But luckily, Fangmon was able to hold him off long enough for us to escape. And Duke taught me to use the 'bullet-time' upgrade."  
  
"Sounds like fun..." Ryan trailed off.  
  
"Hey, now what do we do?" Kumamon asked from nowhere.  
  
"Don't know..." Ruki sighed. "I guess we could all just head home?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Duke agreed. "I've gotta go get something first, though. Could I get someone to go with me?"  
  
"Sure, I will," Ryan offered. "Let's go."  
  
"Thanks!" The two walked away, and Ruki and Shiuchon looked at eachother.  
  
"Shiuchon..." Ruki began. "Where's Jen?"  
  
"Jen? Um... Our parents split up... He's still over in Japan with daddy..."  
  
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"No, it's okay. Can I go to your house and rest Lopmon?" Shiuchon asked, holding the passed out Digimon up. Ruki smiled a little.  
  
"Sure, let's go."  
  
On the other side of town, the Ryan, Kumamon, Duke, and a now-Gijinka Fangmon were walking through the store. Duke sighed. "What a day so far... It's been nice to meet all of you, though."  
  
"Yeah... You'll get used to us eventually. But hey, how long've you been a Tamer?"  
  
"Oh, since I can remember... A little Impmon came to me when I was really young and gave me my D-Plug."  
  
"That was me, as a Child," Fangmon added. "I convinced Duke to train me into a permanent Adult level once he got a little older and here I am now."  
  
"Wow... Me and Ryan just met," Kumamon informed. "But he's not bad for a beginner."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Ryan mumbled.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing..." Suddenly, an explosion was heard outside. It shook the whole building. "Whoa, what the heck was that?!"  
  
"I dunno! We'd better go check it out," Duke suggested. He took Fangmon's amulet off and he turned to his true form, then they all ran outside. The entire parking lot was burning in various places - cars were on fire, blood was everywhere - and in the middle of it all was a huge shadow.   
  
"Whoa...! What IS that?!" Ryan gasped as he looked up. In the sky, moving very slowly forward, was a giant mechanical blimp.  
  
"Good question!" Duke added. Fangmon growled, ready for battle. Ryan checked the data on his D-Plug.   
  
"Blimpmon..?! He's huge! ... Wait a minute... He must be a Perfect level... .. No, it says here he's only Adult... So we should be able to take him!" Ryan glared at his giant opponet, along with Kumamon. "Kumamon... Go get him!" Kumamon leaped into the air, along with Fangmon. "Command: Evolution!"  
  
"Kumamon, shinka!" Kumamon's body once again grew into a huge bear. "Grizzmon!"   
  
"Coffin Blaster!" Fangmon's attack flew right at the bottom of Blimpmon, but it was easily repelled.  
  
"Maul Attack!!" Grizzmon launced himself, now burning, towards the enemy. He collided with Blimpmon, but was simply thrown down on his back.  
  
"Aah, crap..." Ryan sighed.  
  
"Come on, don't give UP yet! We just started!" Duke then hit the famed 'Scan' button, and the entire area went back. "Command: Upgrade! Dark Wings!" Upon that command, the green light came out at hit Fangmon in the back. Data grids appeared off his back in the shape of wings, and were covered with black feathers.  
  
"Now try me!" Fangmon threatened, and flew up to Blimpmon, landing on top of him. "Eat this!!" Fangmon then launched himself off and began firing black beams all at Blimpmon's back, causing small explosions to occur.  
  
"Release soldiers," Blimpmon said in a monotone, machine-like voice. His bottom hatch opened to reveal an army of at least ten Mekanorimon, who flew out and landed around Grizzmon, who was now of his feet.  
  
"Command: Upgrade!" Ryan called. "System Failure!" Suddenly, a shockwave came out of Grizzmon, shutting all of the Mekanorimon down.  
  
"Ah, thanks..." Grizzmon sighed.  
  
Up above, Fangmon still had a tight grip on Blimpmon. Finally, Blimpmon began smoking.  
  
"Zeppelin Explosion," Blimpmon muttered as his next attack.  
  
"Fangmon, get outta there!" Duke called up. "He's gonna explode!"  
  
"I'm tryin', but my claws are stuck in the metal...!"  
  
"Grizzmon!" Ryan shouted, getting his attention. "I want you to slam into the bottom of Blimpmon! Quick!"  
  
"Here goes nothin'... Maul Attack!" Grizzmon flung himself upward, slamming into Blimpmon. This impact threw Fangmon up and into the air.  
  
"Whoa! Duke, move it!!" Fangmon yelped, and Duke ran out of the way as Fangmon hit the ground. Just as Grizzmon landed, Blimpmon exploded, sending pieces of flame off into the air. The police and firemen came at that point, Ryan and Duke climbed onto their Digimon.  
  
"Let's get outta here... Good job, you two..." Ryan complimented, paniting. The two Digimon ran off before any of the authorities noticed, the flames still burning behind them. 


	9. Breaking the Chains of Fate

A note from me: Hey, I know this is a little short, but it covers more of the story's progression than you'd think. I'm probably gonna make the movie-fic, as I like to call it, after Episode 10. It'll take place AFTER the entire fic, which I haven't completed at that point, obviously. But I promise there won't be any spoilers. ^^; Review this for me? Thanks. Flames are, though not appriciated, allowed too.   
  
Episode 9: Breaking the Chains of Fate  
  
It was now the next day, around ten. Ryan was already up, had been for about an hour, and Kumamon was asleep next to him on the couch downstairs. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Ryan got up out of his seat and opened it, to see Ruki and Shiuchon standing there.  
  
"HII!!" Shiuchon exclaimed with a smile. Ryan smirked a little.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey, we just saw some lady on the way here... She asked if we knew you. When we said yes, she said... 'Tell him it's over.' So... Whatever that means, it's over, I guess.." she said, a little confused. Ryan froze for a moment.  
  
"This lady... Was she kinda tall..? Heavy..? Blonde hair...?"  
  
"... Yeah, you know her."  
  
"Oh, crap...! That's my MOTHER! Kumamon, GET UP!!" Kumamon jumped.   
  
"Wha-what?! What's goin' on?!"  
  
"We've gotta move! NOW!" Ryan pushed past Ruki and Shiuchon, Kumamon following him out, and the two began to run. Ruki and Shiuchon followed.  
  
"Hey! Can I get a little information, here?!" Ruki shouted at him.  
  
"No time! Just follow me!"  
  
"Maybe this'd be easier if I.. EVOLVED?"  
  
"... Good idea. Command: Evolution!" While running, Kumamon quickly evolved and Ryan climbed up onto him.  
  
"Whoa! Er... Command: Evoltuion!" Ruki called as well, trying to keep up. Renamon did the same as Kumamon, and Ruki jumped on. "C'mon, Shiu. Keep up!" she said, pulling Shiuchon up. The two Digimon ran down the street as fast as they possibly could, not knowing why. Ryan just ordered Grizzmon's directions, and Kyuubimon followed him. Out of seemigly nowhere came Ace once again, standing in their way. Grizzmon didn't even slow down.  
  
"Outta the way, punk!" Ryan snapped. Ace simply stood there, glaring. Then, at the last moment, he stepped aside to avoid Grizzmon. He stared at them as they continued on.   
  
"... Perfect... Now I know Grizzmon's weak points... I can't get to Ruki without getting through him first, it seems..."  
  
The two Digimon ran across town, into the next town, and continued on until they reached Ryan's apartment. He ordered Grizzmon to stop, and he did so. Ryan hopped down off the back and ran up to the door, seeing the lock had been shot out. "Oh, crap... Crap....!!" He quickly turned around. "Grizzmon, Kyuubimon, circle around back! Ruki and Shiuchon, follow me! Now!" Ryan kicked the door open and everyone did as directed. Just as he got up to the door, he was frozen stiff, his hand an inch from the doorknob. "What the...?!" Ruki and Shiuchon stopped and stared in surprise.  
  
"It's your fault... It had to occur..." Nyxmon's voice echoed in his mind, and he heard a gunshot on the other side of the door. He glared at the knob, focused.   
  
"... I don't believe you... I'm not bound by fate...!" Suddenly, his D-Plug let out that silver light once again and eveything seemed to move slow but himself. He rammed through the door and dove forward, the bullet just away from its target. He never quit pushing, until finally, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. "Aah...!" He slammed down on the ground and speed returned to normal. His mother gasped in surprise.  
  
"What the..?!"  
  
"Get outta here! Now!" Ryan ordered to his dad, holding his shoulder tightly. He hesitated, then finally ran out the door. Ruki slid down on her knees next to Ryan.  
  
"Ryan! Ryan, dammit..! What'd you DO?! You got shot, you idiot..!!" she yelled, holding back tears.  
  
"Take it easy, Ruki..! Man..!" Shiuchon ran in after, and Ryan's mom paniced. Not knowing what to do, she shot at Shiuichon. She didin't even know what was coming to her it was so fast.  
  
"Tiny Twister!!" Lopmon spun around in front of Shiuchon, knocking the bullet away, and landed. Shiuchon sighed in relief.  
  
"Thanks, Lopmon..." Ryan's mother, still panicing, ran off out the door. Ruki stood up and glared at her.   
  
"Oh no you don't... Kyuubimon, get around front!" she called out the window behind her, then ran after her. She was already out the front door, running as fast as a drug addict could, but was cut off by a fiercely growling Kyuubimon. She jumped at little back backed up a few steps. As she went to turn around, she saw Ruki standing there, with a look that could kill.   
  
"Move, kid!"  
  
"No! You piece of shit, you shot a good friend of mine! I'll make you pay for it if it's the last thing I DO!"  
  
"And it WILL be!" she assured, firing a bullet at her.  
  
"Ruki!!" Kyuubimon called and jumped at Ryan's mom from behind. Ruki shut her eyes tightly. Just before the bullet could make contact, a crystal blue light surrounded Ruki and repelled the bullet. The glow went everywhere and Ruki's eyes shot open.   
  
"Upgrade Evolution!!" she echoed, as the area around them was covered in blue ice crystals. Kyuubimon glowed with the same light and became covered in the ice.   
  
"Kyuubimon, shinka!" The ice broke, along with Kyuubimon, and reformed again. It held Taomon within it and shattered again. This time, though, it awoke Taomon. "... Taomon!!" Ryan's mother turned around, then looked back at Ruki, then took off along the side of the building.  
  
"Bonhitsusen," Taomon said calmly, and held her hand up. The fleeing woman froze in her tracks. Out of Taomon's hand came a sharp blue beam of ice, which stuck through Ryan's mother completely. It shattered in her and she fell, blood flowing from her body seemed to form a deep red pool. Taomon brought her hand down with the highest level of calm a being could reach, it seemed. He looked at her shocked partner.  
  
"T... Taomon..?" Ruki muttered between breaths.  
  
"Don't worry, Ruki. Everything's fine now." Taomon nodded in assurance, and devolved to her Child form.  
  
"R-Ryan! We've gotta get him outta here!" she spoke up suddenly, and ran back inside. Renamon, who was aware somehow of what had happened, walked up the stairs after her without the slightest sense of panic. Ruki ran through the open door and slid down at her dear friend's side and held him up in her arms.  
  
"Ruki..." he mumbled, halfway knocked out. "My shoulder... Blue light... It was awesome...." he trailed off, then fell unconscious. She looked at his shoulder to notice the wound was completely healed, though the hole in his shirt still remained.  
  
"My D-Plug..?" Ruki asked herself. "Did it do that...?" Kumamon, who hadn't seen any action as an Adult, ran in.  
  
"Yeah! It must be your D-Plug's special ability!"  
  
"Ruki..." a soft, kind voice echoed in her mind. She looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Huh...? W-what is it...?"  
  
"I don't care how tough you act, child, you have a pure heart... Do your best to stay that way."  
  
Ruki's expression changed from calmly confused to a warm smile as she nodded. "Alirght... Thanks..." 


	10. Ace's Obsession

Note from me: YEAH! Finally! 10 chapters! xD Though I only know of one person that's read this, and FF.net's updating is gettin' slow, I've never even finished ONE chapter of a fic before. But TEN! XD; Have fun reading, please review, flames are allowed, and as stated before I'm writing a movie-fic after this chapter. Meaning this story won't be updated until I'm done. It shouldn't take long, though. Enjoy the chapter!  
  
Episode 10: Ace's Obsession  
  
It had been a good month since the events of the shooting. Everything had been cleared up with the police, and not much action had occured since then. A few fights here and there that Ruki and Duke handled - they didn't want Ryan to fight until they felt he was fully-recovered. Shiuchon stayed with him. As for his dad and grandma, no one knows. When his dad ran that day, he ran across state it seemed. When his grandma found out, she left as well. Ryan was left with no legal guardian and if no one claimed him within a week, he'd be put it a boy's home. Shiuchon begged her mom unti she had no room left to beg, and Ms. Lee took Ryan in. For around three weeks he learned to call her 'mom', and Shiuchon became his new little sister. Shiuchon loves hanging around him. Ryan and Ruki, too, spent a lot of quiet time together as friends - not ally Tamers - lately as well. Just, you know, talking or playing games. Duke was also in that time here and there, and he got to know his fellow Tamers a lot better.  
  
Finally, Ryan can go back to battle whenever he feels ready - which Kumamon is glad for. He awoke one day to the sunlight pouring into the living room and the sound of bird chirping outside. He sat up slowly and stretched. After a good yawn, he stood up front the couch he was sleeping on. Shiuchon stumbled into the room slowly, rubbing her eyes, and yawned.  
  
"Oha you, Ryan-saan..." she mumbled. Ryan smiled a little.  
  
"Hey, Shiuchon... Sleep good?"  
  
"Kinda..." she yawned She plopped down on the couch and layed back, Lopmon asleep on her head.  
  
"That's good... Hey, I'm gonna head out to Ruki's for a minute. There's a few things I wanna ask her. Is that alright with you?"  
  
"Sure, just be back by dinner... Cooking... Sushi...." Shiuchon mumbled, drifting to sleep. Ryan smiled a little at her and picked up Kumamon.  
  
"Come on, buddy, let's go." He then walked out of the house and into the street, where the upper-day sunlight was beginning to shine freely. He stopped at a red light crossing to wait for the cars to go by and set Kumamon down.   
  
"Hey, Ryan..." Kumamon began. "Can I ask ya something?"  
  
"Sure, go ahead."  
  
"Do you um... Do you think Renamon'd ever fall for me?" Ryan sweatdropped.  
  
"Uuuh..." he said thoughtfully. Then, the light turned red and the cars stopped. "Maybe," he finally concluded, and began walking again. Kumamon rushed up to meet him.  
  
"Hey, seriously!"  
  
"Yeah, if you just be yourself."  
  
"Ya think?! Wow...!" Ryan laughed under his breath.  
  
(She's a little tall for him... But he'll be fine.) Ryan nodded and the two kept walking, Kumamon ranting on about Renamon.  
  
Speaking of Renamon, she was outside Ruki's house, laying back on the grass to watch the clouds. She didn't even see old Ace sneak by... Ace peeked over the window ledge in Ruki's room to see that she wasn't in it. He then climbed in through the open wind and landed on one knee. He stood up straight and looked around, sniffing lightly.  
  
"Wow... Smells like heaven..." he whispered blissfully.  
  
"Ruki?" he heard a voice call down the hall. He winced at it... he knew it. It was that meddling Ryan... He scowled at the door where the sound came from for a moment, then looked around.   
  
(Need a place to hide... Hm...)  
  
"Be there in a minute!" Ruki called back. Her voice came from just outside the door. Just as the door opened, he dove under her bed. [A/N: Remember, this is in America. Here, she has a bed on wheels instead of the floor.] She opened her closet and looked around, then finally found her hoodie-type shirt that she usually wore over the black t-shirt, which she was wearing now. Ace peeked out from under the bed as she put it on.  
  
(So young... So graceful... So... CLOSE TO STEPPING ON MY HAND!) He snapped into reality to pull his hand back quickly before she stepped on it as she walked across the room. She put her hair up into a high ponytail, stretched out from the stiffness four hours of video games gave her, and walked out of the room. Ace peeked out from under the bed. "...?"  
  
Down the hall, Ryan was looking in the door, waiting for some sort of being to come into view. Then Ruki walked around the corner and smirked at him.  
  
"What, thought I was naked or something?" Ryan gulped quickly.   
  
"N-no...! I was just-"  
  
"I know, I know, waiting for me. I'm just messin' with you," she said, laughing slightly.   
  
"Yeah... I knew that..." he said with a slight nervous laugh. She patted his head as she walked past him to her yard. [A/N: Remember? These two've become really close friends in the past month. Therefore, Ruki's not quite as firey with him as she is others.]  
  
"Hey, don't worry. I was a lot worse when I was younger." Ryan turned around and watched her walk along the walk towards the street. Finally, when she was a few yars away from him, she turned. "You coming, or are you just gonna stare at my backside all day?" she joked. Ryan blushed.  
  
"C-coming!" He and Kumamon ran up to her, and she turned and continued walking. "You were just playing with me there, too, right?"  
  
"Of course! Lighten up, Ry!" she laughed. "I know you don't 'like' me or anything."  
  
"Good," he stated without hesitation. She snickered to herself. As Ruki, Ryan, and Kumamon all turned and followed the sidewalk, Ace came out the door silently and watched them.  
  
"...... That kid... I'll get him this time..."  
  
Down the sidewalk, Ryan and Kumamon were still following Ruki. "So uh... Where exactly are we going?" Ryan asked, trying to start a conversation.  
  
"Just takin' a walk," she replied. "Why?"  
  
"Well, uh... I just wanted to ask you about your D-Plug." She looked down at it after his remark.  
  
"My D-Plug? What about it?"  
  
"How it healed my shoulder last month... What happened out there?"  
  
"I never told you?" Ruki asked, a little surprised at herself. "Renamon reached her Perfect level for the first time in a few years."  
  
"Perfect level? Renamon can go to the PERFECT level?!" Kumamon exclaimed, getting into the conversation now. Ruki smirked a little.  
  
"Oh, that's nothing. We used to be able to 'fuse' into the Ultimate level."  
  
"Woow..! I knew she was awesome! Er, I mean..!" Kumamon caught himself a little late. Ruki laughed.  
  
"What was that?!" she taunted.  
  
"You didn't know? Kumamon loves Renamon," Ryan informed, laughing a little. Ruki started cracking up.  
  
"Kumamon and Renamon?!"  
  
"Heehee..!" Kumamon blushed and laughed, very nervously.  
  
"Man, you really kill me sometimes, Kumamon..." she sighed, slowly calming her laughter. Ryan smiled a little at all the laughter and all. He couldn't help it.  
  
Suddenly, to their surprise, Ace leaped out of the bushes and into their path. Ruki stopped and got in a semi-fighting stance.  
  
"You... I know you!"  
  
"My name's Ace. Ace McCloud, Ruki. Please don't call me 'you'..."  
  
"What do YOU care?!" she snapped.  
  
"I've got a confession to make... ... I need you. I've been following you because I need you here with me. If you come with me, I'll make you the queen of Dejitaru Sekai, I promise you..." Ace's voice sounded calm and soothing to Ruki. She began to lose her tense nature, and Ryan quickly saw that Ace was using his Digimon side to hypnotize her.   
  
"Not while I'm here!" Ryan burst out, and moved in front of Ruki in a boxing-type stance. This snapped her out of her deepening trance. "No friend of mine's going anywhere with some gothic Gijinka!'  
  
"You... You, I KNEW you'd get in my way..." Ace scowled. He held his gloved hand up. "Eat this..!"  
  
"Ryan, look out!" Ruki shouted suddenly, and dove on him just before the fireball flew. Kumamon immediately jumped into battle as Ryan and Ruki stood up.  
  
"Thanks, Ruki... That's three I owe ya now," Ryan reminded. Ruki smiled a little.   
  
"Don't worry about it. Just help Kumamon." Ryan nodded. "Kumamon!" Kumamon landed, doing little or no damage to Ace so far. He looked back at his partner.  
  
"Gimme a boost!"  
  
"You got it..." Ryan hit the button, and the area turned silver. "Command: Evolution!" His voice echoed, and upon his command, Kumamon was turned to a data grid.  
  
"Kumamon, shinka! Grizzmon!" Grizzmon emerged from the light and ran at Ace. "Now I'm bringin' you DOWN!!"  
  
"Not so fast, Bubba..." Ace stated calmly, and held his hand out at Grizzmon. He suddenly froze where he was. "Blood Stream!" A whip made of a crimson red light came out of the glove, and was whipped across Grizzmon's side, throwing him down.  
  
"Aagh...! He can use Perfect level techniques TOO?! This is gonna be rough..." Grizzmon mumbled, and got up to his feet. "Maul Attack!" Grizzmon suddenly launched himself at Ace. Ace, however, jumped over him and landed behind.   
  
"Maul Attack!!" Ace called, echoing Grizzmon's technique. He set on fire and flung himself into Grizzmon, throwing him down.  
  
"Shoot, Grizzmon!"  
  
"This looks ba-aad..." Ruki said, stating the obvious out of excess sarcasm. Grizzmon slowly got to his feet and turned.  
  
"I'm fine.." he panted. "Just need a few seconds..."  
  
"We don't have a few seconds, bro'! You've gotta do this NOW!" Ryan ordered. "Now come on!"  
  
"I... can... if I rest..." Grizzmon was losing his strength.  
  
"One more blow, and he's out..." Ruki sighed. "This looks even worse now..."  
  
"Blood Stream!" Ace's Perfect level attack flew again.  
  
"Grizzmon!!" Ryan called, and ran in the way of the attack. It nailed him in the chest, causing him to close his eyes tightly, and he glowed brightly with silver light.  
  
"Whoa...!" Ruki's eyes widened at the omnious light. She backed up a few steps.  
  
"Ryan..." a soft voice echoed in Ryan's mind. "You have awakened the courage we talked about... Well done, Tamer." Ryan's eyes shot open, just like Ruki's last time, and Grizzmon began to roar with energy as the light shined from him.   
  
"Upgrade Evolution!!" Ryan's voice echoed with a tone of pure adrenaline rush. Every thought of fear that had eve befallen his heart turned into pure strength and was made physical by silver flames, which now engulfed the area - and Grizzmon.  
  
"Grizzmon, shinka...!" The flames around Grizzmon suddenly scattered, along with pieces of his body. When they were reignited, Grizzmon emerged at his Perfect level. "... Mihiramon!" [A/N: I know, his real evolution is GrappLeomon. But I don't think GrappLeomon's fitting for a family of Grizzmon. Since he goes from bear to bear/tiger hybrid, I figured I'd make a tiger his nevel level.] The growling Mihiramon glared at Ace with the eyes of a hunter. Ryan soon fell out of his trance and took a deep breath.  
  
"... Grizzmon..."  
  
"No," he bellowed. "MIHIRAMON..." Right after his sentece, he roared and jumped at Ace. "Samurai Tiger Tail!" he called as he passed Ace, his tail swinging around with lightning speed. Ace cried out in pain each time he was struck. Finally, Mihiramon landed on the oter side of Ace as he fell to his knees.  
  
"You..! You...!! I'll destroy you someday! You wait..." Suddenly, he unexpectedly got to his feet and darted off, out of sight. Ryan took a step forward.  
  
"Hey, you...! Get back here!" Ruki put her hand gently on Ryan's shoulder, and he looked back with an innocently confused expression.  
  
"Let him go... You did all you had to," she assured. He slowly nodded.  
  
"Ryan," the voice came again. He looked up in front of him.  
  
"Huh?" A bright silver light appeared in the sky, then took the shape of Gyaramon as it landed.  
  
"You are almost like my friend," Gyaramon said with a tint of pride in his voice. "I've been watching you since you were little, seeing if you could handle maybe doing this in the future. It looks to me like... You're doing just fine. Keep up the good work." Ruki and Ryan both smiled a little, and Gyaramon faded into the sunlight. 


End file.
